Key takeaways
- Amazon infers personal characteristics from purchase history and displays them in a hidden account settings section that most users don't know exists.
- A Threads user discovered Amazon assumed she had "flat buttocks" based on her purchase of butt scrunch leggings, prompting the viral post that received over one million views in less than a day.
- The system is generally accurate at identifying interests and habits but raises concerns when Amazon articulates assumptions about personal physical characteristics based on product purchases.
- Amazon does not provide tools to automatically delete or correct its inferences, making the profile page primarily a window into the company's conclusions rather than a mechanism to reshape them.
A Threads user’s discovery that Amazon believed she had “flat buttocks” exposed the extent to which the company profiles its customers based on purchase behavior. The user, @fangirlinmegan, found this specific inference in a hidden section of her Amazon account after purchasing butt scrunch leggings. She shared the finding on Threads, where it received over one million views in less than a day. The post prompted thousands of other Amazon customers to investigate their own profiles, revealing the range of assumptions Amazon has compiled about its shoppers: from shopping habits to personal interests to physical characteristics.
The inference came as a surprise despite its technical accuracy. As @fangirlinmegan noted in her post, while Amazon’s assessment was not wrong, the bluntness of the characterization felt invasive: “I mean it ain’t wrong but damn did you have to call me out like that?”
Locating Your Amazon Profile
Amazon maintains a profile for each customer but does not make this section easy to find. The company offers no direct link from the main account page.
Desktop instructions
On desktop, hover over “Hello, [your name]” in the upper right corner and click “Account” under “Your Account.” Select “Ordering and shopping preferences,” then “Your Shopping preferences.” At the bottom of the page, a blue link labeled “Manage your information” will display all of Amazon’s inferences about you.
Mobile instructions
On the mobile app, tap the hamburger icon at the bottom of the screen, then navigate to Account > Shopping preferences > About you.
Contributing your own data
This section allows you to add information manually: shoe size, interests, and dietary preferences, shaping how Amazon personalizes your experience and recommendations.
The Kinds of Assumptions Amazon Makes
When TechCrunch staff members checked their own profiles, they found Amazon had identified specific interests and habits. One reporter discovered that Amazon believed she practices photography, plays collectible card games, and is invested in the Apple ecosystem. Her profile also noted she reads diverse non-fiction. Colleagues reported similar findings: Amazon had correctly flagged interests in vinyl records and ceramics, preferences for natural materials in home decor, and a tendency to choose clothing that prioritizes comfort.
The accuracy of these assessments reflects Amazon’s access to detailed transaction data. When a customer buys cat litter regularly, Amazon infers they own cats. Frequent anti-acne product purchases trigger tags related to skin concerns. These inferences are intentional: Amazon uses them to improve recommendations and shape what appears in a customer’s feed.
The specificity of some inferences, however, extends beyond practical shopping insights. When Amazon articulates assumptions about physical characteristics, as it did with the “flat buttocks” inference, the language crosses into territory that many customers would consider sensitive or personal.
How Amazon Generates These Profiles
Amazon’s system identifies correlations between purchase patterns and personal attributes by analyzing millions of customer transactions. The company detects which products frequently co-occur with specific customer characteristics, then applies those patterns to new customers. A single product purchase can trigger multiple inferences if it correlates with a known customer profile type.
Amazon does not publish the criteria that trigger specific inferences, the minimum purchase threshold, or how heavily each inference is weighted. Users learn what Amazon thinks only by accessing the hidden profile page.
Why The Post Went Viral
@fangirlinmegan’s post tapped into existing concern about corporate surveillance. It made visible the normally invisible process of customer profiling. Amazon collects behavioral data from every customer constantly, but that data generally remains hidden from users. The post presented these inferences with humor and frustration, capturing a tone that resonated across social media.
The specificity of Amazon’s language intensified the reaction. Rather than merely noting a product category someone purchased, Amazon translates that into statements about the customer’s body. The practice demonstrates how companies monitor behavior in granular detail and feel entitled to articulate conclusions about personal characteristics.
The Broader Picture of Data Collection
Amazon’s profiling system represents one piece of a much larger ecosystem of corporate data collection. Tech companies gather information from purchases, search queries, browsing history, location data, and platform activity. This information drives recommendations, shapes visibility, and influences advertising.
Most users never see what data companies have collected or what conclusions they have drawn. Amazon’s “Manage your information” page offers a rare window into this process. The company does not provide tools to automatically delete inferences or challenge assessments. The page primarily reveals what Amazon has decided about you, not a mechanism for you to correct it.
Source: TechCrunch
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find what Amazon thinks about me?
On desktop, navigate to Account > Your Shopping preferences and click "Manage your information" at the bottom. On mobile, access it through the hamburger menu: Account > Shopping preferences > About you.
What kinds of personal details does Amazon infer?
Amazon makes assumptions based on purchase patterns, ranging from pet ownership to hobbies and interests to physical characteristics. Examples include inferring cat ownership from cat litter purchases or flagging physical traits from purchases of specific product categories.
Can I remove or correct the inferences Amazon made about me?
No automatic correction tools exist. The profile page displays Amazon's assessments but does not offer a straightforward mechanism to delete inferences. Users can manually add information like shoe size and interests, but cannot modify Amazon's generated conclusions.
